World Bank to fund energy project in eastern Tajik region

A World Bank mission arrived in Dushanbe yesterday to study the progress of reforms in Tajikistan's energy sector, including tariffs policy.

ITAR-TASS was told at the World Bank mission's office that mission experts would visit [eastern] Mountainous Badakhshon Autonomous Region to analyse the state of affairs at the hydroelectric stations being built there.

The World Bank's International Financial Corporation (IFC), together with the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, announced in October 2002 that they would start implementing an ambitious 26m-dollar investment project to develop the energy sector in Mountainous Badakhshon [Autonomous Region].

A new energy company, PamirEnergo, is expected to be set up as part of this project. This will complete the construction of a 28MW hydroelectric station which was partly built during the Soviet period and upgrade it, and will also take over the management of a number of small electricity stations with an overall capacity of 30MW.

The IFC will invest 8m dollars in the new company. The International Development Association (IDA) will give a 10m-dollar preferential credit to Tajikistan to support the project and maintain electricity tariffs accessible for the residents of the Pamirs [another name of the area].